PHOENIX – Nobody benefited more from the four-team Patrick Ewing blockbuster Sept. 20 than Chris Dudley. He landed in Phoenix, got out of Jeff Van Gundy purgatory and assumed the starting center position for the Western Conference’s hottest team.

Unfortunately, he did not land well Wednesday night. Dudley severely sprained his left ankle vs. Dallas after leaping for a rebound and landing awkwardly. Hence, he will miss tonight’s Knicks’ game vs. the Suns at America West Arena, spoiling what has been a dreamy last two months. Dudley said yesterday he could miss two to three weeks.

Although he won’t say it, the popular ex-Knick was looking forward to showing Van Gundy that he deserved better last season. After helping the Knicks into the Finals during the ’99 lockout season, Dudley fell out of the rotation last season.

The Knicks were the worst offensive-rebounding team in the league and Dudley was their second-best offensive rebounder. Van Gundy apparently felt Dudley’s offensive game was too much of a liability to put him on the court regularly.

Dudley believes he fell victim to Van Gundy going to a small lineup more often last season than in ’99 when Larry Johnson was the small forward and Kurt Thomas started at power forward. When Spree assumed the small forward position last season, it actually hurt Dudley the most.

“I became the odd man out,” Dudley said. “It was very frustrating, especially after a season when I helped them get to the Finals. I don’t know what happened but it was frustrating. I wanted to be out there.”

Dudley thought he was a Laker in mid-August as part of the first Ewing trade that blew up. “After that, once you’re involved in a trade, I didn’t want to go back,” said Dudley.

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Glen Rice’s malcontent image in L.A. is so prevalent that he was booed by Clippers fans Wednesday night every time he touched the ball. “I don’t even think they know why they were booing,” Rice said . . . The Phoenix homecoming of Luc Longley won’t take place tonight as he remains on the injured list with a bruised knee. But the center the Knicks got in the Ewing deal is starting to do some drills with the team and might be able to go full-scale practice within a week . . . Latrell Sprewell on his shooting slump: “You keep shooting and keep believing in yourself. I don’t know if you guys noticed but I’m really trying to get in there and get some boards,” said Spree. “Just make other plays. Something on the floor you can feel good about yourself. When you do that, other good things start to happen.” Spree also said he doesn’t have the same “balance” since returning Tuesday from back spasms.